FRENCH WINE EVENT AT CAPRICCIO
We will have a very exciting French wines event at Capriccio next Tuesday February 16 at 7:00 PM.
On this occasion we will have the opportunity to taste the wines and champagne of Michel Gonet. Sophie Gonet is visiting us for this special event:
The Gonet family (now the 7th generation) owns Three Chateaux in Bordeaux, 2 chateaux in Champagne and a 40 hectares Vineyard in La Cote des Blancs.
The wines we will be tasting:
- WHITE: CHATEAU LESPARRE, BORDEAUX, AOC GRAVES DE VAYRES
- ROSE: CHATEAU LESPARRE, BORDEAUX CLAIRET, AOC CLAIRET
- RED CHATEAU LESPARRE ROUGE-MERLOT
- RED: CHATEAU LESPARRE, BORDEAUX, AOC GRAVES DE VAYRES
- CHAMPAGNE MICHEL GONET, AVIZE, BRUT RESERVE
We will also have a demonstration of "Sabering" (the art of opening a bottle of champagne with a cavalry sword). Here is an instructional video on the subject but please be advised that it needs lots of practice:
Our friend Monsieur Gilbert Farah will be demonstrating proper sabering technique. Monsieur Farah is the Chair Wine and Culture from the Wine University of Dijon, Bourgogne, France.
We will have great food to pair with the wines, other presentations on the art of making champagne and more.
Please make reservations for this very special event (not to be repeated in Houston). The price is $55/person. |
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MEZZANOTTE'S MONDAY AND TUESDAY SPECIAL
For a limited time we will be offering Monday and Tuesday dinners at 20% off (of food and wine). No need for a coupon or gift certificate. Just tell your server you read about it in today's newsletter. |
PLEASE SEND COMMENTS
As you know, everything revolves around word of mouth and, more importantly, word of press. Whenever you get a chance (and if you have the inclination) please send a note about your experience(s) at Mezzanotte and/or Capriccio to:
We really appreciate your help and support.
Gerry |
ARGENTINA 2010 - HERE WE COME
We have a date for our Argentina trip. The program starts on Saturday April 24 and ends Saturday May 1. We will visit Buenos Aires and Mendoza (and, of course, drink great wines!)
More details are coming. Please let me know if you are interested in joining our group.
Gerry |
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IN MEMORY OF A GREAT TEACHER
A little bit over a year ago Adriana and I started attending the International Sommelier Guild program at the University of Houston's downtown campus. Our teacher for the several months of 7 hours Monday's instruction on wines was non other but Darryl Beeson, "The Wine Guy". Here is a picture taken with my cell phone of Darryl (the one with the suspenders on the left) lecturing us on the Bordeaux region:
Darryl was not only extremely knowledgeable but had a wonderful personality. He would spend hours talking about wines and injecting a lot of humor through jokes and personal experiences. He always walked around with a plastic cup full of a concoction for his chronic cough (we never knew what was in it). He would all of a sudden open the door of the classroom and yell "SCHIST" into the hallways (Schist is a soil prime for growth of Porto grapes in the Douro region of Portugal). He would go to his car and retrieve bottles of wine from the trunk. Some of them would be bad (vibration, heat, mistreatment, etc.) and he would say that it was important for us to be able to recognize bad wine!
We learned a lot from this wonderful person who passed away last week. The wine world (specially Austin, Dallas and Houston) mourn his departure. Our class got together last Tuesday to do a toast to him and wish him a good journey.
We will miss you Darryl. Please don't finish all the wine up there because we are coming!!
SCHIST!
PS: dear friends, life is very fragile - please make the best of it! |
